California Governor Jerry Brown on
Thursday signed a bill that requires single-occupancy restrooms to be
universally accessible to all genders.
The bill, Assembly Bill 1732, was
authored by Assemblyman Phil Ting, a Democrat from San Francisco.
“California is charting a new course
for equality,” said Ting. “Restricting access to single-user
restrooms by gender defies common sense and disproportionately
burdens the LGBT community, women, and parents or caretakers of
dependents of the opposite gender. Bathroom access is a biological
need. This law will ensure more safety, fairness, and convenience
access for everyone.”
The bill was sponsored by Equality
California, the Transgender Law Center and California National
Organization for Women (NOW).
Kris Hayashi, executive director of the
Transgender Law Center, cheered passage.
“This law is a simple measure that
will make everyone's lives easier,” Hayashi said.
Equality California Executive Director
Rick Zbur contrasted passage with North Carolina's House Bill 2,
which restricts bathroom access for transgender people.
“We now have a policy that gives
everyone greater privacy and safety in public restrooms,” he said.
“It, and not hateful laws in North Carolina, Mississippi and
elsewhere, should be the model for the nation.”